A slight lull for Pas-de-Calais, where the red alert was lifted on Friday January 5 in the morning, after a new episode of flooding. It remains on orange alert for the risk of flooding, as well as the North, the Ardennes and the Meuse, according to the 6 a.m. Météo-France bulletin.

On the coastal river Aa, “the recession began during the night from Wednesday to Thursday,” according to Vigicrues. It returned to orange alert, after reaching its record level in November. The monitoring body, however, specifies on its site that “the rains in progress and still expected” on Friday risk “maintaining the levels high and causing a further increase, without however reaching the levels of Wednesday”.

The president of the Association of Mayors of France (AMF), David Lisnard (LR), mayor of Cannes, called on Thursday for “mobilization at the highest level between mayors, presidents of intermunicipalities and the executive”, one in four French people and one in three jobs are affected by the risk of rivers overflowing.

More than 700 evacuations

Since Tuesday, 710 evacuations have been organized in Pas-de-Calais, the prefecture said Thursday evening, adding that 2,000 homes, 43 businesses and 14 businesses are affected.

In Thérouanne, the college was affected, and, in the neighboring town of Arques, the water reached the center, forcing residents to evacuate, sometimes with the help of firefighters deployed with boats, or tractors.

If the prefecture notes that “the weather should become dry again across the entire department” on Friday, the soils are still waterlogged after the record rains in the fall.

The Nord and Pas-de-Calais are also on yellow alert for risk of wind, with gusts expected up to 80 to 90 km/h on the coast and 50 to 60 km/h in the interior. lands.